Vibratory motor of adjustable eccentricity

ABSTRACT

A vibratory motor with a vertical shaft is eccentrically loaded by two pairs of outrigger arms mounted by a splined connection on the top and bottom extremities of the shaft, the splines of each shaft extremity being interrupted by an axial gap enabling the raising of the hub of the lower arm of the respective pair into a disengaged position in which the arm may be rotated with reference to its mate to vary the effective eccentricity. The lower arm of the bottom pair is linked with a vertical rod, passing axially through the hollow motor shaft, which carries at its projecting top a handwheel enabling that rod to be raised and rotated whereby that lower arm can be disengaged from the shaft and swung into a different angular position relative to the upper arm of that pair.

United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,757,148

Philibert Sept. 4, 1973 [54] VIBRATORY MOTOR OF ADJUSTABLE 3,002,794 10/1961 Bluemink..' 310/81 ECCENTRICITY FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor: Daniel Rene Philiberl, Aiguebelle, 910,666 11/1962 Great Britain 310/81 Savoie, France 885,278 8/1953 Germany 310/81 [73] Assignee: Societe dExploitation des Etablissements D. Philibert, Pnmary Emmmer R' Skudy Aiguebelle, Savoie, France Atmmey Karl Ross 22 Filed: Jan. 5, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT [21] PP N05 2151547 A vibratory motor with a vertical shaft is eccentrically loaded by two pairs of outrigger arms mounted by a [30] Foreign Application priority Data splined connection on the top and bottom extremities Jan 6 1971 France 7100848 of the shaft, the splines of each shaft extremity being interrupted by an axial gap enabling the raising of the [52] U S Cl 310/81 hub of the lower arm of the respective pair into a disen- [51] i 7/00 gaged position in which the arm may be rotated with [58] Fieid 80 66 reference to its mate to vary the effective eccentricity.

"""""""""""" 128/34: The lower arm of the bottom pair is linked with a vertical rod, passing axially through the hollow motor shaft, which carries at its projecting top a handwhee] enabling [56] References cued that rod to be raised and rotated whereby that lower UNITED STATES PATENTS arm can be disengaged from the shaft and swung into 2,945,970 7/l960 Nordegren 310/81 3 different angular position relative to the upper arm of 2,478,701 9 1949 Mag1nn1ss...... 310/81 that pain 3,210,579 10/1965 Sonoda 310/81 3,538,756 11/1970 Coombs 310/81 9 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure VIBRATORY MOTOR OF ADJUSTABLE ECCENTRICITY My present invention relates to a motor designed to impart vibrations to a surrounding structure on which it is mounted.

Such a vibratory motor may be provided, on projecting opposite ends of its shaft, with eccentric masses whose loading effect determines the amplitude of the resulting vibrations at a frequency depending upon the motor speed. This amplitude can be adjusted by dividing either or each mass into a pair of loads whose angular separation can be varied to modify their effective eccentricity.

The general object of my invention is to provide means for facilitating such angular adjustment, advantageously with variations of the relative angular positions of all four arms to allow a symmetrical change in the effective eccentricity of the two pairs of loads.

A more specific object is to provide means for enabling such adjustment even where one of the two shaft ends, generally the lower one in the case of a vertical motor, is more or less inaccessible.

These objects are realized, in accordance with my present invention, by mounting at least one and preferably each of the load pairs on the respective shaft extremities by a splined connection including a ribbed shaft portion matingly engaging a fluted hub of at least one of the loads of the associated pair, this hub being axially shiftable into disengagement from the ribbed shaft portion to enable a desired angular readjustment relative to the other load of the pair. That other load, especially if mounted on an inaccessible (e.g., lower) extremity, may be fixedly clamped to the shaft, e.g., to a part of its ribbed portion separated from another part thereof by an axial gap whose width is sufficient to accommodate the hub of the axially shiftable load to facilitate its angular adjustment.

In accordance with another feature of my invention, the axial shifting of the last-mentioned load is accomplished with the aid of a link, such as a rod, passing in axial direction through the motor body to enable its manipulation from the opposite, readily accessible end. The link may traverse the hollow motor shaft and terminate in a handgrip such as a wheel or a knob overlying its opposite (e.g., upper) end. The loads mounted on the latter end could be independently adjusted by a splined connection similar to that described for the first pair of loads, i.e., by a ribbed shaft portion split into two parts for the respective entrainment of the two fluted hubs. Again, one of these hubs can be shifted into a ribless gap between the two ribbed parts while the other is shifted into a similar ribless zone adjoining one of these parts to facilitate their independent swinging about the shaft axis.

The loads referred to may simply be in the form of straight outrigger arms or bars having a fluted bore at one end to define the hub. In the case of the fixed load, this hub may be split at one point to form a pair of clamp jaws which can be tightened about the ribbed shaft portion by a wing nut on a screw bridging these aws.

The above and other features of my invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, the sole FIGURE of which is an axial sectional view of a vibratory motor representing a preferred embodiment.

The vibratory motor shown in the drawing comprises a cylindrical body 2 supported by a beveled flange 3 on a cover 6 of a housing not further illustrated. The motor shaft 5 carries an armature 30 co-operating with a field winding 32 solid with the body 2. Shaft 5 is journaled in two roller bearings 7, 7 designed to absorb the radial forces, and is axially supported by a thrust bearing 8 with deep-drawn ball races to take up the weight of the shaft and of the eccentric masses mounted thereon.

These masses include an upper pair of outrigger arms 9, 9a and a lower part of similar arms 10, 10a extending laterally from its projecting upper and lower extremities to which they are non-rotatably but adjustably joined by a splined connection.

The splines at the bottom end of shaft 5 comprise two sets of ribs 34, 35 axially separated by a ribless gap 33 at which the shaft diameter is at most equal to the root diameter of its splined portions; the axial width or height of this gap is at least equal to that of the fluted bore in the hub of the lower arm 10a mating with the ribs 35. Thus, the splined parts 34 and 35 drivingly entrain the arms 10 and 10a, respectivelyQThe hub of the upper arm 10 of this bottom assembly is split by a radial slit 36 enabling that hub to be clamped onto the part 34 of the shaft by means of a transverse screw 37. This splined hub of arm 10 also has a height at most equal to that of the gap 33. The lower arm 10a is secured to a disk 38 rigid with the bottom end of a vertical rod 39 which passes coaxially through the hollow shaft 5. The top end of the rod 39 is fixed to an operating handwheel 40 which enables the rod to be manually rotated as well as moved vertically as indicated by arrows 42a and 42b. This handwheel has a pointer 43 which, in

conjunction with a graduated plate 44 mounted on the top end of the shaft 5, gives a reading of the angular position of the lower arm 10a in relation to the shaft 5 and, consequently, to the arm 10.

It will be seen, therefore, that the angular position of the arm 10 relative to the shaft 5 can be selected upon initial assembly whereas the angular position of the arm 10a can be changed at any time according to the desired amplitude of vibration to be imparted to the support 6 on which the motor is'mounted. To change the position of arm 10a, all that is necessary is to lift the rod 39 (arrow 42a), thereby disengaging the splined hub thereof from the ribbed shaft portion 35 by aligning that'hub with the gap 33, whereupon the arm 10a can be turned by the handwheel 40 into the desired new angular position. When the handwheel 40 is released, the rod 39 with arm 10a returns under its own weight (arrow 42b) to the level of its original position to reengage its splined hub with the shaft portion 35.

It is obvious that the minimum relative angular displacement which can be imparted to the arm 10a depends on the spacing of the grooves and ribs of its hub and of the mating shaft portion 35. i

The splines on the top end of the shaft 5 also comprise two sets of ribs 46, 47 separated by a ribless gap 45 having a height at least equal to that of the fluted bore in the hub of the lower arm 9a of the upper eccentric assembly. Thus, the splined parts 46 and 47 drivingly entrain the arms 9a and 9, respectively. The upper splined part 47 is upwardly extended into a cylindrical part 48, supporting the scale bearer 44, whose diameter is the same as that of the gap 45 and whose height is at least equal to that of splined hub of the arm 9.

in its working position the arm f rests directly on the arm 9a which in turn rests on a ring 39 rigid with the shaft 5. To change the angular position of either or both arms 9 and 9a with reference to the shaft it is merely necessary to lift one or both of them (arrow 42a) so that their splined hubs are disengaged from driving portions 46 and 47 while coming into register with the cylindrical part 48 and the gap 65, respectively.

it will be seen that my improved mounting allows ready adjustment, from the top, of the angular positions of the lower arm 10a of the bottom eccentric assembly and of the two arms of the top eccentric assemblywith reference to the shaft and therefore to the remaining arm l0. Thus, such a vibratory motor can be used in conditions which do not give access to the bottom end of the shaft carrying one of the two eccentric assemblies.

Moreover, by virtue of its simplified construction, this vibratory motor is much more reliable and less troublesome than conventional ones.

I claim:

1. A vibratory motor comprising:

a motor body provided with a throughgoing shaft having projecting extremities;

a first pair of eccentric loads on one of said extremities;

a second pair of eccentric loads on the other of said extremities, at least one load of at least said first pair being provided with a fluted hub matingly engaging a ribbed shaft portion with freedom of axial disengagement therefrom to enable readjustment of the angular spacing of the loads of said first pair; and

link means engaging said one load while passing in axial direction through said body for manipulation at a location remote from said first pair, said one load being axially movable by said link means for disengagement of its hub from said shaft and being thereupon rotatable by said link means into a different angular position relative to said shaft.

2. A motor as defined in claim it wherein said shaft is hollow, said link means being a rod axially traversing said shaft;

3. A motor as defined in claim 2 wherein said shaft is substantially vertical, said first pair being mounted on a bottom extremity of said shaft, said link means terminating in a handgrip overlying the top extremity of said shaft.

43. A motor as defined in claim 11 wherein said ribbed shaft portion is divided into two ribbed parts respectively engaging the loads of said first pair, said parts being axially separated by a ribless gap of a width at least equaling that of said fluted hub, the latter being alignable by said link means with said gap preparatorily to said readjustment.

5. A motor as defined in claim t wherein the other load of said first pair is provided with clamping means fixedly securing same to its respective ribbed part.

6. A motor as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said extremities includes a ribbed shaft portion axially adjoining a ribless zone wide enough to accommodate a fluted hub on one load of the respective pair normally engaging said ribbed shaft portion, thereby enabling said one load of each pair to be angularly adjusted with reference to the other load of the pair.

7. A motor as defined in claim 6 wherein the other load of said first pair if fixedly positioned on said shaft, the ribbed shaft portion of said other of said extremities being divided intotwo axially separated ribbed parts normally engaged by respective fluted hubs of said second pair, the loads of said second pair being jointly axially shiftable into respective alignment with a ribless part between said ribbed parts and a ribless part beyond one of said ribbed parts for independent rotary adjustment with reference to said shaft.

8. A motor as defined in claim 7 wherein said shaft is substantially vertical, said first and second pairs being respectively mounted on a bottom and a top extremity of said shaft.

9. A motor as defined in claim l wherein each of said loads comprises a substantially straight outrigger arm provided near one end with a bore receiving said shaft. 8! t a t 

1. A vibratory motor comprising: a motor body provided with a throughgoing shaft having projecting extremities; a first pair of eccentric loads on one of said extremities; a second pair of eccentric loads on the other of said extremities, at least one load of at least said first pair being provided with a fluted hub matingly engaging a ribbed shaft portion with freedom of axial disengagement therefrom to enable readjustment of the angular spacing of the loads of said first pair; and link means engaging said one load while passing in axial direction through said body for manipulation at a location remote from said first pair, said one load being axially movable by said link means for disengagement of its hub from said shaft and being thereupon rotatable by said link means into a different angular position relative to said shaft.
 2. A motor as defined in claim 1 wherein said shaft is hollow, said link means being a rod axially traversing said shaft.
 3. A motor as defined in claim 2 wherein said shaft is substantially vertical, said first pair being mounted on a bottom extremity of said shaft, said link means terminating in a handgrip overlying the top extremity of said shaft.
 4. A motor as defined in claim 1 wherein said ribbed shaft portion is divided into two ribbed parts respectively engaging the loads of said first pair, said parts being axially separated by a ribless gap of a width at least equaling that of said fluted hub, the latter being alignable by said link means with said gap preparatorily to said readjustment.
 5. A motor as defined in claim 4 wherein the other load of said first pair is provided with clamping means fixedly securing same to its respective ribbed part.
 6. A motor as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said extremities includes a ribbed shaft portion axially adjoining a ribless zone wide enough to accommodate a fluted hub on one load of the respective pair normally engaging said ribbed shaft portion, thereby enabling said one load of each pair to be angularly adjusted with reference to the other load of the pair.
 7. A motor as defined in claim 6 wherein the other load of said first pair if fixedly positioned on said shaft, the ribbed shaft portion of said other of said extremities being divided into two axially separated ribbed parts normally engaged by respective fluted hubs of said second pair, the loads of said second pair being jointly axially shiftable into respective alignment with a ribless part between said ribbed parts and a ribless part beyond one of said ribbed parts for independent rotary adjustment with reference to said shaft.
 8. A motor as defined in claim 7 wherein said shaft is substantially vertical, said first and second pairs being respectively mounted on a bottom and a top extremity of said shaft.
 9. A motor as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said loads comprises a substantially straight outrigger arm provided near one end with a bore receiving said shaft. 